NEWS

Borough President James Oddo and Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon (Brooklyn) will co-sponsor a Dyslexia Awareness Forum on Monday, December 12th at 7pm at Wagner College, Spiro Hall 2.

Speakers at the event include Dr. Amy Margolis, an Assistant Professor of Medical Psychology with an appointment in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University and Dr. Carolyn H. Strom, a Visiting Assistant Professor at NYU who studies reading and literacy development in young children and adolescents.

In addition to these speakers, a panel of Staten Islanders whose lives have been affected by dyslexia will discuss life with dyslexia and the need for a solid educational approach to address the needs of dyslexic children. Two educational videos on dyslexia will also be shown.

More than 9,000 students on Staten Island suffer from dyslexia, which affects the ability to read, write and process letters and words.

“I am committed to advocating for these families and fighting for more educational programming that addresses the specific needs of children with dyslexia,” noted BP Oddo. “We hope this event will allow families to hear from experts as well as those who have dyslexia in an effort to broaden awareness and bring resources to those who need it. I want to thank Assemblywoman Simon for partnering with us to help bring this event to Staten Island and encourage parents to attend.”

“With a clear focus on dyslexia awareness, we will be able to effectively and accurately diagnose and treat this specific learning disability that affects so many,” noted Assemblywoman Simon. “Our young learners deserve to grow in an environment that is fully equipped with the tools necessary to meet their individual learning needs. I’m pleased we have received so much support from our colleagues and organizations throughout New York to make this a successful event.”